WATCH: Collapsed near finish line, two participants carry runner to complete Boston Marathon

An adorable moment during the Boston Marathon caught the fans' eye with compassion after a runner collapsed a few metres ahead of the finish line, and then two fellow participants helped him to move toward the end point. The captured moment went viral on social media, drawing appreciation for the runners’ quick response to help a fellow participant despite being close to the finish line.

During the Boston Marathon, spectators captured a video of Ajay Haridasse repeatedly stumbling in the final stretch. He fell several times, struggling to stay upright as he tried to continue. Just as he seemed close to giving up, two runners, Aaron Beggs and Robson Oliveira, stepped in to help. They lifted him and supported him on their shoulders, guiding him toward the finish line.

“After falling down the fourth time, I was getting ready to crawl,” Haridasse told the Boston Herald, and recalled how close he was to the finish line. He lauded the efforts of his fellow participant, adding that without them, he would not have completed in qualifying time for the next edition of the race.

Ajay Haridasse lauds effort of both fellow participants

After the race, Haridasse tracked them down and expressed his gratitude, recognising that they had sacrificed their own timing to assist him. Speaking about the performance of Oliveira, he told Boston Herald, “If he didn’t help me, that would have been his fastest race ever.”

In a social media post, Oliveira said, “It was a split-second decision. When I entered the final stretch of the marathon, I was just a few meters away from achieving my personal best, but in the distance I saw (Haridasse) collapsing. I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to help him on my own. In that moment, I thought, ‘God, if someone stops, I’ll stop too and help him.’”

Reflecting on the race overall, he called it “the greatest experience ever,” adding, “Obviously, the wheels kinda fell off at mile 26.” He also credited volunteers and spectators for helping him through the course, saying, “Throughout the whole course, there were people everywhere.” “I’m running Boston again,” he said, and added, “I’m definitely running again.”